Accident description
languages:
| Status: | Final |
| Date: | 07 NOV 1996 |
| Time: | 17:03 |
| Type: | Boeing 727-231 |
| Operator: | ADC Airlines |
| Registration: | 5N-BBG |
| C/n / msn: | 20054/718 |
| First flight: | 1969-04-29 (27 years 7 months) |
| Engines: | 3 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 134 / Occupants: 134 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 144 / Occupants: 144 |
| Airplane damage: | Destroyed |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | near Ejirin (Nigeria)
 |
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Port Harcourt Airport (PHC/DNPO), Nigeria |
| Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS/DNMM), Nigeria | |
| Flightnumber: | 086 |
The ADC aircraft was flying at FL240 en route from Port Harcourt to Lagos. At the same time a Triax aircraft had departed Lagos and was flying at FL160 towards Enugu. The Lagos controller had terminated contact with the Triax aircraft when the ADC crew requested to descend. The permission to descend was delayed to allow an ELF Petroleum bizjet to pass beneath the 727 at FL210.
When the controller finally cleared the ADC flight to descent, he thought he had cleared to aircraft to FL100 at an earlier stage, but the aircraft was still flying at FL240. When the ADC aircraft descended through FL160, the TCAS alarm sounded. To avoid a head-on collision the flight crew immediately took evasive action. During this maneuver, the Boeing rolled to an excessive bank angle and control was lost. Within 16 seconds speed had increased from 280 knots to almost the speed of sound. The aircraft crashed and disintegrated on impact.
IMMEDIATE CAUSE: "The untidy traffic separation by the radar controller which resulted from the vectoring of ADK 086 towards the track of the opposite traffic TIX 185."
REMOTE CAUSE: "The error of judgement by the pilot of ADK 096 to continue his turn to heading 330 M to avoid TIX 185 and his subsequent collision avoidance manoeuver constituted the remote causes of this accident." Events:
Sources:
» Aviation Week & Space Technology 31.3.97 (41)
» Flight International 13-19.11.96 (6)
» The Federal Ministry of Aviation Nigeria.
Statistics
72nd loss of a Boeing 727
8th worst accident involving a Boeing 727 (at the time)
8th worst accident involving a Boeing 727 (currently)
3rd worst accident in Nigeria (at the time)
4th worst accident in Nigeria (currently) » figures explained
8th worst accident involving a Boeing 727 (at the time)
8th worst accident involving a Boeing 727 (currently)
3rd worst accident in Nigeria (at the time)
4th worst accident in Nigeria (currently) » figures explained
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Port Harcourt Airport (PHC/DNPO) to Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS/DNMM) as the crow flies is 435 km (272 miles).
Distance from Port Harcourt Airport (PHC/DNPO) to Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS/DNMM) as the crow flies is 435 km (272 miles).
